Tobacco bunching machine



25?/ llc TORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. C. WHlTTLES TOBACCO BUNCHINGMACHINE Filed July 25, 1934 'pr 28, i936.

| s r l April 28, 1936. G. c. wHlTTLEs 2,038,866

TOBACCO BUNGHING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ..5 material'.

Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice 4 claims. (o1. 1s1- 42) My invention relates to improvements in tobacco bunching machines for shaping ller material into .cigar form and it is concerned particularly with machinesof the type in which the filler is rolled over a bed plate by a looped apron and roller cooperating therewith.

In bunching long and short filler it has been found desirable to roll thev latter longer than the former because the strap 4content of which the 10 short vfiller is formed, at least '.finpart, is not so readily shaped and compacted as the long filler.

Having the foregoing in mind, the principal object of my invention, broadly stated, is to equip a machine of the `specified ytype with novel 35 means for effecting a more extended rolling'operation with short than with long ller material,

so that the short ller issubjected to aprolonged compacting and shaping as compared withthe long filler, and to provide in addition to theabove 20 forforming bunches of eithersubs'tantially u niform size throughout or tapered as desired.

Specifically my invention comprehends `equipping such a machine with yse'p'ar'alte long "and short vfiller loading pockets for,positivelyl backing 25 the apron in loading operations-and 'arranged sfo that the forming loop in the apron travels further from the short iill er jpocket ythan from the long filler pocket for the'ipurposeabgove.setforth Another object, specilcallyfstatedfiseto equip .f-:o the machinewith novel eicient means forjvarying the relation ofthe axis of.. the .apron roll;to the table) or bed to produce bunches either of substantially uniform size throughout `or tapering toward either end.

,35 Still another object is to provide for obtaining Va .Wide range 4of fine` variations inthe size of the apron loop to'correspondingly vary the size of the bunch rolled therein. Still another object yis .to yprovide ya novel 40 mounting for the forming roll whereby either or both ends thereof maybe ,adjusted to vary the position of the roll in accordancezwith different operating requirements, and yieldingly supporting the roll in any of its adjusted positions.

Other and auxiliary objects together with ,the structural ydetails of my invention will be clearly understood when-the following description and claims are read in conjunction with the drawings ,50 accompanying and forminga part of the specication.

In sald drawings:

.Figure 1 is atop plan vewpf thdmachinepf my invention as'` it is ,used in bunching long filler Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a portion of the forming roll and my improved 5 means Vfor mounting the same.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of .a long ller pocket member.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan View 0f the machine as it is used in bunching short ller, lo and c" Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the showing of Figure 6.

Proceeding nowlto a detailed descripton of the type of machine with which my invention is par- 15 tic'ularly concerned and my improvements Ytheresi in, and with reference to the drawings, I ldesignatesv the usual rectangular base frame of the machine for securing the same to a suitable support represented in dotted lines in Figure 1 as at o 2; Above said frame is a bed plate forming a tabie 3 located centrally vofsaidframeandhaving its sidesspaced from said frame. The table `3 is curved longitudinally in an arc coincident with thearc of movement of an operating frame4 25 pivoted as at 5 to be rocked longitudinally of said s table, on brackets 6, and includingopposed upstanding arms l and 8 disposed on opposite sides 'of' they table 3 and extending vabove the' latter through slots 9 for a purpose presently clear. `V Opposite ends of the table 3 are connected tothe `base frame I by websIU and II forming trough loading pocket I2 is an yapron I5, of xible material, having one end secured slightly belowthe discharge endof the table 3, as at I6, and its op- 5 vposite end fixed b-y a clamping barI'kf to a roller |84 ymounted in lugs I9 upstanding from the'base iframe I. Afsuflicient slack ismmainitainec' in lthe apron I5 to form a loop in the' loading trough I2 into which the filler is placed asv'will Abe under- 50 stood. `Mounted inthe extending ends of the'arms'ii y l and 8,V by means presently described, is-a'roller 28. The arrangement of the Yframe 4, roll 20 and 'apron I5 is such thatjthe rollfnayi'be swunggby noperation'of said frame from its normal position ,iLf. 7 fi'i adjacent the loading end of the machine to the the discharge pocket I3. A knob 2| is provided on the arm I for manually operating said frame.

The loading pocket I2 is designed for use in conjunction with aprons of different widths for bunching short filler, and hence may be termed the short filler pocket. For confining the short filler in the pocket I2, gaging the length of the bunch to be formed, and squaring the ends Vof the bunch, end closureplates 22 are provided for` said pocket I2 which are adjustable lengthwise thereof by means of set screws 23 projecting from the bottom edge of said plates through longitudinal slots 24 in said pocket and clamping said plates to the bottom of the latter. The slots 24 are open at their outer ends so that said plates may be removed for a purpose presently seen. Each end plate is provided with a depending squared portion nicely tted into its related slot 24 to hold the plate from turning during tightening of the screw 23. Y

`For long filler bunching operations, an open ended long filler pocketmember 25 is provided which is adapted Vto be removably secured as by screws 26, to the web II of thepocket I 2 well above the latter whereby it is located nearer the discharge endof the bed plate 3, than the pocket I2. The apron I5 and roller 20 are operated to roll the iiller from the long ller pocket 25 in the same manner as described in connection with the short filler pocket I2. Obviously however because of the different locations of said pockets I2 and25 relative to the discharge end of the bed plate 3, the rolling operation in short ller bunching will be longer than in the case of long ller bunching.

For varying the size of the loop in theY apron I5 a hand wheel 21 is provided on one end of the roller I8 whereby the latter may be rotated in the lugs I9 to adjust the slack in said apron. Clamphaving squared ends 3 I, shown in Figures 2 and '7.

The shaft 3l and roll 20 are suspended in the upper ends of the arms 'I and 8, in longitudinal guide slots 32 therein, by cap plates 33 secured to the upperends of saidarms, and screws 34 slidably passing through said plates and threaded into the squared ends 3I of said shaft. Springs 35interposed between the cap plates 33 and said squared ends of the shaft yieldingly urge the latter and the roller 20 toward the table. By adjusting the screws 34 the axis of rotation of the roller 20 may be readily varied relatively to the table to taper the bunch being rolled in either direction as will be clear, and theroller may be moved toward or away from the table to accommodate bunches of different sizes. Set screws 340 threaded into the squared ends 3I of said shaft serve to clamp the latter to the screws 34 to lock the roll 20 Vin adjusted position. The roller 20 may freely yield against the influence of the springs to provide a yielding pressure on the tobacco bunch, and yet is limited in its movement toward the table bythe screws 34; and the screws 34 permit easy and ne adjustments of the roller Vrelative to table.

The normal position of the roller 20 is estab- Y lished by a slotted stop block 36 mounted in one side bar of the base frame I and provided with an inwardly extending end 3'I engaged by the frame arm 8. It is desirable to vary the normal position of said roller 20 when operating from the different pockets I2 and 25 for obvious reasons. For this purpose the stop block 36 has a rib fitted in a guiding groove 38 extending longitudinally of the side bar 8 of the base frame I and the block is adjustable. A single cap screw 39 passing through the slot 40 in said block and threaded into said frame side bar clamps said blockV in adjusted position.

It -will be noted that the described location of the short ller Vpocket below the table 3 also provides for bodily lifting, and at the same time rolling, the short filler during travel of the apron loop from said pocket to the table 3. This action is particularly advantageous since during the same the Yshort filler is ompacted by its own weight. The described mounting for the roller 20 provides a simply constructed inexpensive means for tapering either end of the bunch by yieldlng pressure. By mounting the frame stop block 36 in the grooves 38 it is prevented from turning vabout the single clamping screw 39 under the impact of the frame 4 and being thereby thrown out of proper relation to the latter.

While in the drawings the location of the short ller pocket I2 together with the upper edge contour of the end plates 22 necessitate removal of the latter prior to attachment `of the long ller pocket member 25, it is to be understood that right is herein reserved to modifications of these features permitting attachment of said member 25 without removing said plates, and also other modifications falling vwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a tobacco bunching machine, the combination with a table, and means for rolling a bunch thereon, and including, a pair of upstanding arms pivoted at opposite sides of said table, respectively, and provided at their upper ends with longitudinal slots extending inwardly from said ends, a roller intermediate said arms, a shaft rotatably supporting said roller and having squared ends slidable in said slots, cap plates secured to the upper ends of said arms, screws freely mounted in said plates and threaded into the squared ends of said shaft whereby said roller is suspended in said arms for free movement lengthwise thereof and for adjustment to vary the position of ythe axis of the roller, springs intermediate the squared ends of said shaft and said caps for urging said roller toward said table, and V set screws threaded into said ends of the shaft for engagement with the first mentioned screws to lock the roller in adjusted position.

2. In a tobacco bunching machine, in combination, a table, means for rolling a bunch across the table and including a pair of arms movable along opposite sides of said table, respectively, a frame surrounding said arms and table and provided with a groove therein, a slotted stop block for one of said arms, slidably adjustable in said groove, and a single bolt for clamping said block in adjusted position. n

3. As an article of manufacture, a single piece spectively, Va raised table located centrally of the frame, the sides of the table being spaced from the sides of the frame, the ends of said tablev being connected to the frame by trough shaped Webs of relatively different depths one of which has opposed slots in the bottom Wall thereof, a side member of said frame being provided with a longitudinally extending slot and one end member having a pair of lugs formed thereon adjacent opposite sides of said frame respectively.

4. In a machine of the class described, a rec- 10 tangular base frame, a raised table located cenend closure plates.

trally thereof, a trough at one end of said table provided with opposed slots opening through the ends thereof, and end closure members for said trough fitting snugly therein, clamping screws pressing through said slots and threaded into the lower edges of said plates, respectively, and a bunching apron coacting with said table with a portion adapted to enter said trough between said GEORGE C. WHITTLES. 

